This is the first in a series of articles covering the things I’ve learned while blogging, which will provide you with an insight into my blogging growth during the past several months. I’ve learned a lot, which is why a series of articles is required to cover the material.

I launched this blog in late March of this year with all the excitement of a new dad, after all, this was my new baby. A fair amount of time was spent setting up the software, installing plugins, establishing an auto backup system and dealing with all of the other infrastructure stuff.

Then comes the good part, writing and posting your very first article. My intended subject matter was to cover online businesses and how they interact with computer users, sharing the experiences of both business operators and customers alike, as detailed on the About OBB page.

So my first article was Internet Security? Well, I was already off subject, but thought it was important to point out the importance of protecting yourself while online. Many don’t think about this until something happens and it’s too late.

So, if you are new to blogging, this article is for you as I share some of the growing experiences of the first several months.

1.   Identify a niche and keep your focus narrow

Getting off to a good start is very important as it will save you from having to undertake major adjustments later in your blogging career. If you want to find success early on, you’ll have to become a specialist in one particular area of your expertise.

2.   Select a nice blog theme and move on

Theme selection can be very time consuming as there are just so many available; you may have difficulty determining which one to choose. You can find more than 900 themes here at WordPress.org, but you can’t test drive them all. Make a selection and get started blogging.

3.   Write that first post

Writing your first post is the ice-breaker, as it makes it all official, you are now blogging. Caution: don’t worry about the article being a perfect journalistic offering; your college professor is not going to grade this. Your articles should be conversational and have a speech like flow.

4.   Leave some space for comments

I don’t mean physical space, but room for your readers to have something to add to the subject matter. If you cover everything from A to Z then there is really nothing left to be said. You want some interaction from your readers.

5.   Do not struggle with an article for hours

I have seen many comments from bloggers who say that it takes them 3 or more hours to write a post. If you are amongst them and you find this to be a regular occurrence, you may want to consider another subject. Find something that you are passionate about and can freely write about without wrestling with what to say.

6.   Keep the article relatively short

There are many opinions on the proper length for an article, ask 3 people and you may get 3 different answers. Generally speaking, people have short attention spans and do not want to read extremely long articles online. You’re not writing a novel, so make some points, leave some space for comments and close it out.

I generally write articles in the 550 to 850 word range, occasionally topping 1000 words. Depending upon the subject, I often write a part 1, part 2 type of article. Now 500 words may sound like a lot to the new blogger, but it really is not. In fact you are reading the 619^th word here.

7.   Incorporate some images into your posts

Images tend to break up the boring look of text and can provide a form of entertainment as well, while helping you deliver your message. They also capture the attention of people visiting your blog. Everyone will look at an image before actually reading something. Be sure the images are related to your post and are royalty free and not copyright protected.

You can find free digital images at Dreamstime where you may download from their freebie selections after registering, which is also free. They also have a wonderful collection of digital images for sale, many for as little $1.00. You may also try Freefoto.com.

8.   Build a small stock of posts

At some point you will run into a case of writer’s block, or simply just not have the time to write. This is when you can reach into your stock and grab a post to keep your site updated without actually having to write. You’ll need only a few in stock at any given time.

9.   Find yourself a mentor

This is very important as blogging is a very intensive activity, particularly if you seek to blog professionally. There is simply too much to learn and too many shiny objects that will serve as distractions while you try to figure this all out.

You will need a plan and an educational program to follow that will keep you on-track. For blogging, I strongly recommend one of these two programs; Blog Masters Club or Blog Masterminds. David Risley (Blog Masters Club) and Yaro Starak (Blog Masterminds) are both highly successful professional bloggers who have established themselves as leaders in the industry.

I am sure there are others but I know these two well.

10. Focus, focus, focus

I alluded to this a bit earlier but it’s worth expanding upon. You must focus on your objectives if you are to have any chance of becoming a successful blogger. Develop some policies in terms of how you will learn and take action upon what you have covered in terms of your development.

Without this focus, your advancement will be minimal at best. It’s a matter of discipline and a strong desire to succeed.

I have shared only a tiny slice of what I have learned while blogging and I hope it provides you with some encouragement to seek your goals and realize that things will not be easy. However, if you take action and maintain your focus you’ll be delightfully surprised.

What important things or lessons have you learned while blogging?